I’ve been south of the U.S. border twice now. The first time was in college, with my family, the summer after my grandmother passed away. We flew to Mexico in an attempt to leave behind the heavy sadness in the air at home. It kind of worked, as the only times I felt peace and solace during those months were in those seemingly alternate universes of air and sea, flying through clouds and floating on the surface of clear blue waters.
My trip to Belize earlier this summer was entirely different. I was invited to come explore the country, eat good food and attend the launch party of a beautiful Belizean cookbook called Flavors of Belize. It was a wonderful, inspiring experience so full of fun that it seemed borderline frivolous, but I welcomed it all. Our hosts, the McNab family and Rachael of McNab Design, invited Simone and I into their home and spoiled us rotten for six days. I’ve had over a month now to mull over the experience and thought it was high time to share my thoughts on it with you, along with a recipe inspired by the book and my trip.
To be honest, when I first learned of the possibility of this trip to Belize, I had to search for the country on a map. In case you, too, spent most of your geography course wondering how your balding teacher managed to look so much like a gerbil, Belize is just south of Mexico. It is bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the east and Guatemala to the west and south.
Getting to Belize was surprisingly easy; it’s only a two-and-a-half hour flight from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport (U.S. flights to Belize go through DFW, Houston and Miami). To add to the convenience, the official language of Belize is English, so there was no language barrier to speak of, and Belizean businesses even accept American dollars (at an exchange rate of one American dollars to two Belize dollars).
Although there is plenty of good food to be found in Belize, I would go back principally for the beauty and adventure to be found there. I am so thankful to McNab Publishing for inviting us to tour Belize. To say that they showed us around would be a major understatement—they took us over and under and all around Belize.
During our six-day stay, we snorkeled over the barrier reef and stroked a nurse shark’s belly in open waters with San Pedro’s Belize Dive Connection, zip-lined over the rainforest and floated through an underground crystal cave with Chukka Tours and climbed up the Xunantunich Mayan ruins. We hiked through the jungle, swam under waterfalls and practiced yoga on a screened-in yoga platform with Katharine on the grounds of Hidden Valley Inn. Belize is only about the size of New Jersey, so I was astonished to discover so much unadulterated natural beauty and diverse ecosystems in such a small area.
Belizean food, like the people, is a big mix of diverse cultures, including Mayan, Caribbean, British, Mestizo, Garifuna, Creole, Chinese, Indian, Lebanese and Mennonite. I tried to learn as much as I could about the various influences while I was eating, but reading the summaries of each culture’s influences in the Flavors of Belize cookbook on the flight home helped me make sense of it all.
I didn’t get to see the cookbook until I got to Belize, but I’m pleased to be associated with such a well done publication. The cookbook provides a thorough representation of Belizean food, from typical rice and beans to crazy soups (like black relleno and cow foot), seafood, chicken and pork, and desserts, too. The vibrant photos by Matt Armendariz present Belizean food at its best, so if you don’t get a chance to visit Belize, you can always buy the cookbook. (I promise they aren’t paying me to say any of this!)
Typical Belizean meals consist of coconut rice, beans, meat (chicken or pork) and a small side salad. Since Belize relies heavily on imports, dairy products can be expensive and hard to come by (a pint of Blue Bell ice cream goes for twenty American dollars!), and greens like kale don’t grow well. I can’t imagine finding quinoa or other health food store staples there. However, great seafood is easy enough to find along the coast, and the fresh cashews, coconut water and tropical fruit are real treats.
The recipe I’m sharing today is more of an abstract, Belize-inspired meal than anything else. I stuffed myself silly in Belize, appeasing my guilty conscience with promises to eat kale and quinoa when I got home. “Kale and quinoa,” I’d say in my head as I lifted yet another ceviche-covered fried tortilla chip to my lips. “Kale and quinoa,” I’d say out loud at breakfast while I sopped up refried black beans with Belizean fried bread, called fry jacks.
Something about Chef Rob Pronk’s recipe for “tropical” pesto, made with cashews and cilantro, captured my attention on the flight home. It occurred to me that I could combine it with the kale and quinoa I vowed to eat during the trip when I got home. I cooked the quinoa partially in coconut milk, like Belizeans do with rice, and mixed in big handfuls of chopped kale and bright green tropical pesto. I knew, based on Heidi Swanson’s toasted kale and coconut salad in Super Natural Every Day
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed under running water in a fine mesh colander for a couple of minutes
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (for a total of about 4 cups chopped kale)
- 1/2 small to medium red onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup coconut flakes
- 2 cups cilantro, packed
- scant 1/2 cup cashews
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 lime, juiced (or more, to taste)
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and simmer for 15 to 17 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and set aside.
- Make the pesto: combine cilantro, cashews and garlic in a food processor. Start processing the mixture, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, lime juice and red pepper flakes, all to taste, and blend well.
- In a medium serving bowl, combine the warm coconut quinoa, chopped kale, red onion and pesto. Mix well with a big spoon and season to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut flakes for a few minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring often. Top the salad with coconut flakes and serve warm.
- Cilantro-cashew pesto adapted from the tropical pesto in Flavors of Belize, the cookbook. Salad inspired by my trip to Belize, courtesy of McNab Design and several generous sponsors.
- I’m not a big fan of white quinoa (I find it bland), so I always recommend using a rainbow blend or red or black quinoa.
- The recipe didn’t specify to toast the cashews first, so I didn’t, but toasting the nuts before blending them into the pesto would add an extra dimension of flavor.
- This salad keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, but I think it is best served fresh. Either eat it cold or gently reheated.
P.s. You can view many more photos of the Belize trip on facebook!
64 Comments
What a lovely look into Belize, its sites, its food and its beauty! You’ve captured it all perfectly.
Beautiful salad and I love your Belize photos!
This looks delicious! I make kale pesto all of the time, and I’ve made an “asian” pesto before with cilantro, but never anything integrating all of these ingredients. Wonderful and inspiring.
Also, thanks for the Belize tips–we’ve snorkeled a lot of the Caribbean, but have been aching to go here for a while precisely because of the reefs. If you have specific snorkeling tips, we’d love to hear those as well (we’re experienced snorkelers and prefer to have less crowded waters…).
Thanks so much for sharing.
Sorry Cat, sounds like you are a much more advanced snorkeler than I am! The barrier reef runs along almost the entire length of Belize so I’m sure there are lots of less crowded areas to be found. It’s stunning under there!
I’m so jealous of your trip! Belize sounds amazing!
These flavors are fantastic – I have never made a tropical pesto. I obviously need to get on that!
Belize looks just wonderful, it’s not somewhere I’d really thought about going before but I’m very keen to visit having read this post! I love how you took the flavours of Belize and combined them with some of your own favourite ingredients here.
oh my I love this! love love the coconut and can’t wait to try it. great pics too!
Just discovered your blog and it is fantastic! I am not normally one to leave comments but I can see the amount of time, effort and pride you take in your posts so I felt compelled to say how wonderful your site is and thank you. I’ve starred almost every entry…..I have some cooking to do! Love your writing…. I really look forward to more great posts and recipes.
Thank you, Jann. I really appreciate your kind comment. Please let me know how those recipes turn out!
wow, what stunning photography! the perfect recipe too!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/
Belize is totally on our list to visit. Yum on the recipe!
This salad is so imaginary and so exotic! I will try it!
Standouts: cooking quinoa in coconut milk & cashew pesto. These are both certainties in my kitchen now. Especially the former as they are both staples in my house.
I’m beyond words jealous of your trip. I not only know where it is on a map but have been day dreaming/planning/researching a trip there for nearly two years! I still haven’t had the chance. But I will. I’m an avid diver, Mayan enthusiast, and all around fan of getting off the beaten path. When I finally manage to make it down there, I’m going to be asking for insider tips!
Can’t wait for you to go to Belize, Beth. We got quite a tour so I’ll have plenty of suggestions for you! It’s just gorgeous.
yum! a great combo!
That just sounds like an amazing trip…wow..I just ate every bite with you!!
The salad looks stunning!
Belize…looks like a paradise!
I definitely agree on the kale & coconut combo! I love braising kale in coconut milk and topping it with a poached egg. Yum! What an amazing trip too!
Beautiful photos! I love it when your travels can inspire your cooking. And your time in Belize sounds wonderful. (especially the underground crystal caves bit—are they anything like the cenotes of the Yucatan?)
Thanks, Linda. I just googled the Yucatan cenotes and yes, the caves are sort of like those. So beautiful!
Your trip sounds dreamy! I’m planning a trip to Europe this year, but Belize is on my long term “to travel: list. And this recipe is bookmarked, like almost everything you post. I forget to tell you, I made watermelon juice (or maybe I did tell you – I’m losing it!). At any rate, it was incredible!!
I can’t remember if you told me, but glad you liked the watermelon juice! I’m not a big juice drinker but I cannot get enough of that stuff. Your comments are always a treat, Ashley, thank you!
This recipe was indeed a keeper! I loved it!! I added cashew pieces to the final product for some nutty crunch and loved that variation as well. Thank you, Kate! :)
Great idea, Holly! I’ll add a sprinkling of cashew pieces next time. Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, what a trip — sounds amazing! Love the tropical quinoa salad too :) So neat that you got to do this!
Beautiful post! I can’t wait to try this! I am envious of your trip to Belize all over again.
I made this last night and got RAVE reviews! The hint of sweetness that is added by cooking the quinoa in coconut milk is awesome! And the cilantro pesto was so good – it tasted so fresh. Thanks for the recipe :-) xo
I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for commenting and tweeting. :)
Great recipe. Just a heads up that the coconut milk gave my quinoa a texture almost like grits – not bad, just not what I was expecting.
I also skipped the pesto (I’m one of ‘those’ anti-cilantro people), but added some cumin and crushed red pepper to give it a little kick.
GORGEOUS salad. And even prettier photos of Belize!
What an amazing experience. Belize looks wonderful, as does your recipe – it sounds delicious!
Made this in original form and it was great! Tonight I did it again but with a bulgur and red quinoa mix, and basil and pine nuts instead of cilantro and cashews. Also a great version! Thanks Kate!
Totally made this for a potluck and was TOTALLY the most popular gal at the party (as predicted). Worked a little lemongrass into the pesto too. Thanks Kathryne! :))
Hoorayayay! Happy to hear it, Laura. Lemongrass sounds like a fantastic addition, if only I could find some around here!
I just made this for dinner and it was FANTASTIC! Cooking the quinoa in coconut milk is genius! And the pesto – we were all licking it clean :)
Thanks for the great recipes, keep them coming!
Thanks, Pooja! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was awesome, made it this week. Definitely helped banish the junk food guilt of the previous weekend. But also made it okay for me to follow it up with ice cream? I don’t think that works. Anyway, thanks so much, this is definitely going on the rotation!
Quinoa followed by ice cream, that’s the way to do it! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Esther. I was afraid it would seem too healthy to try, so I’ve been happy to receive such positive feedback on it!
That cilantro pesto sounds amazing!
Just one thing: I think you may have confused Belize’s Barrier Reef and the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef, which is off the Eastern coast of Australia, is the World’s largest coral reef system and covers an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres.
Thanks, Jodie! I was told that the Belize Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living barrier reef. If that’s the case, I presume it means that a significant portion of the Great Barrier Reef has died off. However, this fact came from members of the Belizean tourism industry—I would presume their information is correct but I’m not entirely sure it is.
I think the Belizean tourism team may have been fibbing a little. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest *living* organism, and the only living organism visible from space!
That said, the Belize Barrier Reef is still absolutely spectacular! I went snorkeling there a couple of years ago, and would go back in a heartbeat.
Thank you for setting me straight, Jodie! I’m revising my post to correct the inaccuracy. I would go back to Belize in a heartbeat, too! Such a beautiful country.
Thank you so much for this recipe and your notes on Belize. I lived in Belize for a couple of years about 10 years ago and I have been missing it lately. Just made your recipe and it was excellent! I love the coconut milk touch!
Thanks for the comment, Ella! I’m really glad you enjoyed the coconut quinoa.
A beautiful recipe and gorgeous photos, Kate! This is going right onto my “must make” list!
Oh Kate! I’m so glad I found you! This was the most delicious dinner I have ever made! I doubled the recipe and added crispy tofu to the top. Wow, thank you, thank you. I also made your raw kale salad with creamy tahini dressing last night – amazing. Consider me a life long follower.
Thank you, Marisa. Your comment really brightened my day. More recipes coming soon!
What a gorgeous trip and oh my lordy that quinoa salad sounds sooooo good…..!
Great write up! Loved the recipe!
i just pinned like fifty recipes from your blog,hehe, thank you! cannot wait to try them out :)
Thank you, Laura! Please let me know how those recipes turn out for you.
Nice one! I made this last night and love my family members simply loved it. Thanks :)
Hi Kate!!
I’m looking at visiting Belize for my honeymoon, as someone who doesn’t eat any meat or fish (but I do consume dairy), do you think a vegetarian will starve there or did you see/find several options?
I’m definitely going to bookmark this post for some tips on activities and things to do while there!!
Hi Caitlin, I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I don’t think you’ll starve. Good breakfast food should be easy to find; most restaurants offer a meal of scrambled eggs, beans and fryjacks (fried bread similar to sopapillas). Belizeans eat tons of rice and beans in general, though you might want to make sure there isn’t pork in the beans. The rest will just depend on the restaurants you visit. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good salads to be found there—greens are hard to come by and they tend to serve British-style salads that contain lots of mayo. Best of luck and congrats on the wedding!
My fav. dish to bring to holiday potlucks this season! It’s so simple and tasty! Plus, vegetarian and celiac friendly! Thanks so much for posting this.
Thanks for commenting, Sophia! Based on the comments I’ve received on this post, it sounds like this dish has made an appearance at quite a few potlucks. That makes me happy.
This is delicious! After having this in my queue forever, I finally made it last night and it was wonderful. I was skeptical about the raw kale not even massaged but it was a great balance. I’m going to use this pesto elsewhere too, I think….
Thanks, Elizabeth. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’d like to find more uses for that pesto, too—can’t get enough of the stuff!
This was sooooo tasty! We made it last night and I think it will become a staple for my dinners/leftovers for lunch. Never thought of cooking the quinoa in the coconut milk but it makes for a really nice flavor. My only alteration would be to omit the raw onions – maybe it was just the onion we had but it really overpowered the subtler flavors of the coconut, cilantro and lime and I ended up picking most of my onions out. Next time I will either saute the onions first in coconut oil and then add them or just omit them completely.
Thanks for commenting, Elnora! I’m sorry the onions overwhelmed your dish. I wonder if maybe chopped green onions would be a good alternative?
Oh – and will be using the leftover pesto on vegan tacos!! We make them with black beans, sauteed onions and roasted sweet potatoes – this pesto will be a great topping!
FYI Mexico is in North America, not Central America. This recipe looks good.
Thanks for the clarification, Amanda. Just corrected my post.
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